It has to be said that as time goes on finding a decent pair of stereo bookshelf speakers seems to becoming more and more of a herculean task as everone and their dog seems to be far more interested in manufacturing 5.1 and 7.1 systems. So here then as a hopeful help on your quest to find a pair of serious stereo speakers we present our review of the Kef Q300 Bookshelfs.

The Q300s are on first appearance quite minimal without any discernible curves or nods to modern styling in fact with the fronts on they are positively non descript, take the grills off and the Kef Q300s take on a slightly more classy look but still somewhat retro. Styling wise these may not be to everyone’s taste but I found them quite attractive and “homely” in the walnut versions we were supplied with (They are also available in black and cherry).

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So appearance wise they may not be for everyone but where the Q300s shine is in the sonic arena the Q300s apparently use technology developed in the Kef ‘Muon’ reference level speakers and this pedigree definitely shows in the quality not only of the clarity these little beauties reproduce and their super low thd statistics but also their extremely good stereo imaging. We found the overall sound to be both lush and open but also extremely precisely defined. KEF Speakers have always had a reputation for excellent reproduction of vocals and acoustic instruments and the Q300s were no exception but we also found the were exceptional on modern electronica sounds with albums like Ben Klocks: One and Phils Kierans: Shh getting star treatment. Also the bass definition was especially tight and controlled with never a hint of unwanted rumble of distortion even at well above normal listening volumes. The Q300 uses a 165mm Uni-Q driver array and we were definitely convinced by the claims that KEF have been making about this systems ability to extend the sweet spot for listening from a few places in your room to basically everywhere you would care to listen from. Overall we have zero complaints about the Q300s and if you are in the market for a very soild and decently priced pair of compact Bi-Wireable speakers then you should definitely give these a try.

Manufacturers Specifications

Design: Two-way bass reflex

Drive units: 130mm (6.5in.) aluminium Uni-Q, 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium, dome HF

Frequency response: ±3dB 42Hz – 40kHz

Crossover frequency: 2.5kHz

Amplifier requirements: 15 – 120W

Sensitivity: (2.83V/1m) 87dB

Maximum output: (SPL) 110dB

Impedance: 8Ω

Dimensions (H x W x D): 355 x 210 x 302 mm (14.0 x 8.3 x 11.9 in.)

Finishes: black oak, english cherry, european walnut

RRP: $599.99 (Check Amazon For Current Pricing)

Reposted From: HiFi reviews

Choosing a well matched and quality set of speakers for a home theatre system can be a daunting, confusing and sometimes demoralizing job, especially if you are trying to find a system that doesn’t require a huge room to locate your system in. If you are looking for a compact, extremely good quality and undeniably amazing sounding 5.1 set up you could do far worse than the KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System. The catch? You know how they say “you get what you pay for”? Well these babys ain’t cheap.

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Looks wise this system is quite pretty and compact, the styling is very “retro future” the orb shaped units reminded me somewhat of something out of the old Jane Fonda movie Barbarella, but with a modern gloss black edge. But just like miss Fondas Barbarella these things may look retro but damn are they sexy. The sound quality on the KEF KHT3005 SE is also top shelf, with what can only be described as a totally natural sound, these compact marvels seem to have a complete lack of distortion or any kind of internal resonance we could detect.

They present a completely cogent and smooth reproduction of the presented audio material when matched with a good quality amplifier (preferably with good bass management facilities). The sound stage presented by these glorious little beasts is excellent easily approaching (and surpassing in some cases) the kind of quality expected from systems costing $500+ more. The KEF KHT3005 SE really has all bases covered sound wise delivering very crisp but not sibilant highs from the HTS3001SE satellite speakers and AU HTC3001SE center channel, solid punchy bass end from the HTB2SE subwoofer, the audio design team should be lauded for their attention to detail. This system delivers solid audio even from compromised audio sources which is no mean feat.

Fittings wise the KEF KHT3005 SE system can be both table and wall mounted but also have the option for both KEF and other brand satellite speaker stands. Thsi system is of course also fully compatible with the KEF universal wireless system. Setup is pretty simple excepting that the satellites require stripped bare wires and will not accept banana plugs. All in all we give a definite thumbs up for this system, maybe not for those on a tight budget but if you can afford these you will not be disappointed, in fact visitors may well be amazed that such power and clarity can come from such small units.

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Product Details
Product Dimensions: 13 x 24.5 x 39.5 inches ; 69 pounds
Speakers:
1x 10-inch, 250-watt powered HTB2SE subwoofer
1 x AU HTC3001SE center channel
4 x HTS3001SE satellite speakers
Shipping Weight: 68 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
List Price: $1,750 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)

Design: Satellite – Two-Way Bass reflex, Centre – Three-Way Closed box
Drive Units Satellite – 115mm (4.5in.) Uni-Q array with 19mm (0.75in.) aluminium HF, Centre – 115mm (4.5in.) Uni-Q array with 19mm (0.75in.) aluminium HF, 2 x 75mm (3in.) LF
Crossover Frequencies: Satellite – 2.2kHz, Centre – 500Hz, 2.2kHz
Sensitivity: (2.83V/1m) Satellite – 88dB, Centre – 90dB
Frequency Response: (+/-3dB) Satellite – 70Hz – 55kHz, Centre – 65Hz – 55kHz
Maximum Output: Satellite – 108dB, Centre – 110dB
Input Impedance: 8 Ohms
Magnetic Shielding: Yes
Power Handling: 100W
Weight: Satellite – 2.0kg (4.5lbs), Centre – 2.6kg (5.8lbs)
Dimensions (H x W x D): Satellite – 245 x 125 x 150 mm (9.6 x 4.9 x 5.9 in.), Centre – 130 x 300 x 185 mm (5.1 x 11.8 x 7.3 in.)
Finishes: High gloss black, High gloss silver

Manufacturers Description

The KEF KHT3005 (SE) 5.1 home theater speaker system is an extremely high performance, yet room-friendly home theater system, which raises both the design and performance benchmarks in the category of elegant home theater speaker packages. KEF’s patented “sit anywhere” Uni-Q driver configuration places the tweeter in the acoustic center of the bass/midrange cone. This creates a single focused audio source that disperses the sound image evenly throughout the room so that everyone enjoys the full richness of music or movie soundtracks. The Uni-Q array in the 3000 series has a completely new design which performs better than ever. Instead of having identical center and satellite speakers like other systems, KEF’s created a stunning new dedicated center channel that gives dialogue more weight and clarity delivering cinema-like frontal impact. KEF also added a radical new high performance powered subwoofer. As a system, it certainly puts the ‘live’ into living room.